TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Straits Exchange Foundation Chairman Lin Join-sane cancelled a planned trip to China after the Legislative Yuan passed a motion Thursday forcing him to obtain its approval for such a mission.
The chief of the semi-official body in charge of handling the practical side of relations with China had been planning to start the visit on April 6, and had scheduled an April 11 meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Chen Deming, president of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits.
However, on Thursday, the Legislature’s Internal Administration Committee voted to approve an unexpected proposal in the sense that Lin would need the approval of the committee before he could set off. The budget for the trip would also be frozen unless the committee agreed with the trip.
After a discussion inside the SEF, Lin decided to cancel his travel plans, a spokesman said. ARATS had been notified and had replied it would maintain contacts with the SEF.
The trip would have come at a sensitive time, while the Kuomintang was still running a transitional government until Democratic Progressive Party Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen was sworn in as president on May 20.
The Mainland Affairs Council, the ministry in charge of relations with China, said it had been reviewing the NT$700,000 (US$21,700) budget for Lin’s voyage, which it argued was reasonable. It would seek the legislative committee’s approval for the budget, but if that was not forthcoming, it would respect any decision, the MAC said.
Taiwan envoy cancels China trip
